Vector-based mutagenesis system

1. An expression construct for modulating the mutation rate of nucleic acids in a bacterial cell, the construct comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding:

(a) at least one gene product that disrupts a proofreading pathway, a translesion synthesis pathway, and/or a methyl-directed mismatch repair pathway of the bacterial cell; and

(b) at least one gene product that disrupts a base excision repair pathway and/or a base selection pathway of the bacterial cell;

wherein the gene products are under the control of one or more heterologous promoters.

2. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the gene product that disrupts a proofreading pathway is a dnaQ926, BRM1, BR11, BR1, BR6, or BR13 gene product.

3. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the gene product that disrupts a translesion synthesis pathway is an umuD′, umuC, recA, dinB, or polB gene product.

4. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the gene product that disrupts a methyl-directed mismatch repair pathway is a mutS, mutL, mutH, dam, or seqA gene product.

5. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the gene product that disrupts a base excision repair pathway is a ugi, AID, APOBEC, CDA, MAG, or AAG gene product.

6. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the gene product that disrupts a base selection pathway is a dnaE74, dnaE486, dnaE1026, dnaX36, dnaX2016, emrR, nrdAB, nrdA(H59A)B, nrdA(A65V)B, nrdA(A301V)B, nrdAB(P334L), or nrdEF gene product.

7. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the expression construct further comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a rsmE, cchA, yffI, or yfjY gene product.

8. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the expression construct comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a dnaQ926 gene product.

9. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the expression construct comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a dam gene product.

10. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the expression construct comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a dnaE74, a dnaE486, a dnaE1026, a dnaX36, a dnaX2016, a rpsD12, a rpsD14, a rpsD16, a polB, a polB(D156A), a MAG1, a AAG(Y127I-H136L), and/or a Δ80-AAG(Y127I-H136L) gene product.

11. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous promoter is an inducible promoter.

12. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the expression construct comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a: dnaQ926 gene product, a dam gene product, a seqA gene product, an emrR gene product, a ugi gene product, and a CDA1 gene product.

13. The expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the expression construct further comprises:

(i) a nucleic acid sequence encoding pIII protein; and

(ii) a drift promoter;

wherein the nucleic acid sequence encoding pIII protein is under the control of the drift promoter.

14. A plasmid comprising the expression construct of claim 1 .

15. A cell comprising the plasmid of claim 14 .

16. The plasmid of claim 14 , wherein the plasmid comprises a bacterial origin of replication.

17. The plasmid of claim 16 , wherein the origin of replication is a cloDF13 origin of replication.

18. The plasmid of claim 14 , wherein the plasmid comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a gene product conferring resistance to an antibiotic to a bacterial host cell.

19. The plasmid of claim 18 , wherein the antibiotic is chloramphenicol.

20. A method for modulating the mutation rate in a host cell, the method comprising contacting the cell with the plasmid of claim 19 .

21. A method for modulating the mutation rate in a host cell, the method comprising contacting the cell with the plasmid of claim 14 .

22. A cell comprising the expression construct of claim 1 .

23. A method for modulating the mutation rate in a host cell, the method comprising contacting the cell with the expression construct of claim 1 .

24. A method for directed evolution, the method comprising:

(a) contacting a population of host cells comprising the expression construct of claim 1 with a population of phage vectors comprising a gene to be evolved and deficient in at least one gene for the generation of infectious phage particles, wherein

(1) the host cells are amenable to transfer of the vector;

(2) the vector allows for expression of the gene to be evolved in the host cell, can be replicated by the host cell, and the replicated vector can transfer into a second host cell; and

(3) the host cell expresses a gene product encoded by the at least one gene for the generation of infectious phage particles of (a) in response to the activity of the gene to be evolved, and the level of gene product expression depends on the activity of the gene to be evolved;

(b) incubating the population of host cells under conditions allowing for mutation of the gene to be evolved and the transfer of the vector comprising the gene to be evolved from host cell to host cell, wherein host cells are removed from the host cell population, and the population of host cells is replenished with fresh host cells that comprise the expression construct but do not harbor the vector; and

(c) isolating a replicated vector from the host cell population in (b), wherein the replicated vector comprises a mutated version of the gene to be evolved.

25. A kit comprising:

(a) the expression construct of claim 1 , wherein the expression construct comprises an inducible promoter controlling at least one of the nucleic acid sequences comprised in the expression construct; and

(b) an inducing agent that induces expression from the inducible promoter.

26. An expression construct comprising a nucleic acid sequence under the control of a heterologous promoter, wherein the expression construct comprises the sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NO: 27, 28, 29, 33, 34, and 35.